PAnorama: April 2001

• From the President's Desk by Bill Perrotti
• Timeline for Spring 2001 elections
• Committee summaries for Spring 2001 elections
• Thea Bowman Bowl-A-Thon: PA raises spirits and raises $750 for charitable organization by Cynthia Villanti

Depending on the publication schedule for PAnorama, this is either my last or next to last column as PA president. Not knowing which is the case, I’ll treat it as my last opportunity to communicate with you all by this means.

First, I have sincerely enjoyed my time as president for the opportunities it has afforded to work on our collective behalf. I can recall feeling very uncomfortable in the role at first. However, after some time "on the job" had elapsed, I remember suddenly realizing that my anxiety had dissipated.

I expect that Ellis will experience much the same progression and, quicker than she now imagines possible, will feel at ease in her role. I’m sure she’ll recast the job into a form which fits her particular approach and style and that she will undoubtedly do just a terrific job. I think we are truly fortunate to have a member of Ellis’ caliber stepping into the presidency.

I am particularly pleased about the level of support that is already in place to assist her. Our standing committees are functional and led by chairs who are energized and productive. We have lots of experience at every officer level and on the critical Grievance and Negotiation committees. Also, a former PA president, Arthur Friedberg, has stepped forward to replace Ellis as second vice president, adding even more union expertise and experience to the leadership group.

A quick look at the ballot will quickly tell you that this year’s election is not business as usual. There are more folks running for committee positions than I can ever remember, and many are relatively new members of the union. That certainly bodes well for the future. My thanks to all of you who are vying for positions in this upcoming election.

Next, let’s look at this year's college budget cycle. For the first time in my memory, there has been real discussion in-house about how we should approach this as a united institution. The PA position, and as best I can discern, the institutional consensus as well, is that we certainly appreciate the funding we have received from the county for capital projects in the past. Our campus will surely be more attractive and better able to serve our students and the community at large once this current capital project is completed.

But the heart of MVCC is its faculty and staff. Expenses related to personnel belong to the operating budget and that’s where the problem lies. Admittedly, as a result of the last two contract settlements, we have begun to make some very modest strides in improving our compensation package.

However, the fact remains that Oneida County’s real fiscal support of their community college’s operating budget has never nearly approached the one-third that was originally intended when the community college system was first instituted. The actual county level of support is in the 18-19% range. That fact alone is why our tuition is at the maximum and our salaries are dismally out of line with those of other educators in this county. Rank us with K-12 educators who are supported by the same citizens who pay taxes to support Oneida County and we are dead last. Compare us with faculty and professional staff at SUNYIT, and we’re likewise far, far behind. These are the same institutions with whom we must now and in the future most directly compete for qualified faculty and staff. We don't even come close. Already we have lost people from our bargaining unit to area K-12 districts and to SUNYIT. Unless county funding changes dramatically in the near future, that trend will continue at an accelerated rate.

At the very least, we (and the County) need to develop a plan that will position us in the upper half of K-12 districts within the next five years. The reality is that such a change is a matter of institutional survival! That is exactly the message that was so ably delivered on our behalf by Ellis when representatives of Oneida County were on campus recently for a budget presentation. And that is exactly the message that each and every one of us must take to heart and repeat to our elected representatives, community leaders, friends, neighbors, and each other from this point forward at every opportunity. The message must be consistent and persistent and everyone must take part.

On the positive side of this is the fact that leaders of area K-12 locals are now our allies. We have worked hard to establish and nurture ties with area public school educators and are now seen as part of the greater NYSUT network within the county. They now understand our situation (frankly, they are appalled by it) and the need for improvement in a way that has never before been the case. And they are willing to help in our efforts to improve our circumstance. I do believe that they will cooperate with us and work with us in ways and to a degree that has never before been the case. And we must be ready and willing to help them when there is a need.

First we must devise a plan and mobilize our membership to lead the way. And that means all of us. We all complain that our compensation is inadequate. If we are to change that, we all need to get involved. There can be no excuses for uninvolvement.

That leads me naturally to the subject of Vote/Cope. As you know, Vote/Cope is the political action arm of NYSUT. It is supported by voluntary member contributions. These funds support the ongoing presence of NYSUT in Albany which monitors and helps to shape in constructive directions legislation that impacts public education and organized labor. That's us. What you may not realize is that forty cents out of every dollar contributed by a local comes back to that same local to be used to support own local efforts to influence the political process. Well that’s exactly what we must do if the changes described above are ever to become reality.

However, the sad fact is that fewer than thirty of our members (out of over 200) contribute anything to Vote/Cope. No matter what our level of pay, one dollar per pay period ($26/year) is not too much to ask. Giving a little bit of money to support an effort of this importance is the easy part. If we can't do that, I worry about the larger initiative which must involve each of us doing something. Please, reexamine those Vote/Cope cards. If you are not yet contributing, consider giving fifty cents or a dollar or two per paycheck. If you are already giving, bump it up just a little. Let’s truly get behind an effort to make things at MVCC better and move the county to at long last support compensating community college faculty and staff appropriately.

Even with all of us working together, this will not be an easy task. With only a few of us carrying the ball, it will likely become an impossible dream. Everyone, think about putting your energy and your money behind a concerted and ongoing effort to bring compensation at MVCC to a level which will benefit the institution for the long term and allow MVCC to flourish well into the future. Only when we are all on board with this do we have any chance to be successful. So let's do it!

If it seems like I am again beating up on you all, I’m not. I just want, more than anything, for conditions here at MVCC to change in a way that fosters good education by a faculty and staff who are compensated fairly and feel appreciated for the fine work they do.

Last, let me say that I've truly enjoyed and been honored to have represented you all as PA president. Thanks for all the help and good wishes I've received from so many of you. I know that Ellis will receive the same support and that we will all move forward together.

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YOUR VOTE
IS YOUR SAY
IN YOUR PA!

Yes, it's election season in the MVCC PA! Ballots are due by Friday, April 13th, at 4:00 in Utica or Rome Library. After submitting your votes in the PA ballot boxes, remember to sign your name on the election sheets provided.

Nominations (on yellow paper)
March 8	· ICC meeting sets up nominating ballots
March 9	· nominating ballots to print shop · email reminder of upcoming election sent to membership by President Perrotti
March 19	· nominating ballots to membership via PA Rep
March 23	· nominating ballots due, returned to Kathleen Salsbury in Utica or Barb Seaton in Rome
March 26	· nominations prepared for General Membership Meeting
March 27	· General Membership Meeting to present and accept nominations from the floor
Elections (on blue paper)
March 30	· election ballot drafted and sent to print shop
April 9	· election ballots distributed to membership via PA reps
April 12-13	· voting by secret ballot · ballot boxes in Utica & Rome libraries · voting concludes at 4:00 p.m. on April 13th · three members of committee tally votes
by April 18	· election results announced
May 1	· newly elected officers take office

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Thinking about voting for yourself or for a colleague for one of the open seats on a committee, but you’re not sure what’s involved? Here are some summaries of the duties of each committee that has openings in this election, straight from our Constitution.

The President shall

• Have completed at least two (2) full years of full-time employment in the bargaining unit prior to the term elected to serve.
• Call and preside over General Membership meetings, special meetings and Executive Board meetings.
• Be the administrative officer of the Association.
• Be an ex-officio member of all standing or ad hoc committees.
• Charge the Audit Committee to perform its annual audit and request special audits.
• Represent the Association before the public either personally or through designees.
• Serve as the ranking PA delegate to the NYSUT Representative Assembly and the AFT Convention.
• Perform other duties and functions usually attributed to the office of President.

The Second Vice President shall

• Have completed as least two (2) full years of full-time employment in the bargaining unit prior to the term elected to serve.
• Assume the office of President if that office becomes vacant and there is no First Vice-President.
• Chair the Internal Communications Committee.
• Represent the President as an ex-officio member of standing or ad hoc committees when called upon to do so.

The Treasurer shall

• Hold and safeguard the funds of the Association.
• Disburse Association funds upon authorization by the Executive Board.
• Maintain a roster of bargaining unit members and designate the voting members of the Association.
• Keep account of Association receipts and disbursements.
• Report the financial status of the Association at each General Membership meeting.
• Prepare an annual financial statement together with appropriate comparisons for publication to the membership.
• Inform the Executive Board of the financial condition of the Association.
• Assist the Executive Board in drafting the annual budget.

The Audit Committee shall

• Be composed of four (4) elected members of the Association; the chair shall be elected by and from the membership of the Committee.
• Audit the financial records of the Association for the previous fiscal year.
• Report its findings to the Executive Board within fourteen (14) calendar days of the end of the fiscal year.
• Conduct special audits.
• Report the findings of any special audits to the Executive Board.

The Education and Training Committee shall

• Be composed of five (5) members of the Association. Two (2) members shall be elected. The other three (3) members shall be appointed by the Executive Board. The chair shall be elected by and from the membership of the committee on or before May 5th.
• Provide in-house training to the membership as approved by the Executive Board.
• Facilitate member participation in appropriate educational activities.

The Community Outreach Committee shall

• Be composed of eight (8) voting members of the Association. Four (4) members shall be elected by the voting membership and four (4) shall be appointed by the Executive Board. The chair shall be elected by and from the membership of the committee on or before May 5th.
• Plan and recommend Association outreach efforts.
• Seek active support Association retirees in outreach activities.
• Plan media coverage of Association outreach activities.
• Submit any activities to the Executive Board prior to implementation.

The Grievance Committee shall

• Be composed of five (5) members of the Association. Two (2) members are elected by the membership and three (3) members are appointed by the Executive Board. The chair shall be elected by and from the committee membership on or before May 5th.
• Administer the grievance procedure as described in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Inform the Negotiations Committee of issues that should be considered in negotiating the next Collective Bargaining Agreement or other agreements.
• Train newer committee members so that all might be able to process grievances, act in cases of discipline, and serve the needs of the membership.
• Report to the membership the status of various cases.
• Archive and maintain Grievance Committee records and databases.

The Internal Communications Committee shall

• Be composed of ten (10) members of the Association and the Second Vice-President, who serves as chair. Six (6) members shall be elected by the voting membership of the Association. Four (4) additional members shall be appointed by the Second Vice-president, with Executive Board approval.
• Formulate mechanisms to effectively and regularly communicate with the membership of the Association.
• Present a slate of candidates to the voting members prior to April 1st.
• Conduct elections and other balloting as needed.
• Ascertain the concerns of Association members eligible to vote with regard to terms and conditions of employment and submit a report to the Executive Board and the Negotiations Committee prior to the start of negotiations.
• Maintain the member database.
• Mobilize member support during negotiations.

The Member Services Committee shall

• Be composed of seven (7) members of the Association and the First Vice-president, who serves as chair. Three (3) members shall be elected by the voting membership of the Association. Four (4) additional members shall be appointed by the First Vice-president, with Executive Board approval.
• Identify and train members with specialties who may be resources to the Association.
• Inform members about Association benefits.
• Plan social activities with Executive Board approval.
• Develop and maintain communications and an organizational relationship with Association retirees.
• Contact new employees for the purpose of recruitment.
• Plan group activities that unite and promote the Association and its goals.

The Political Action Committee shall

• Be composed of eight (8) members of the Association. Four (4) members shall be elected by the voting membership and four (4) members shall be appointed by the Executive Board. The chair shall be elected by and from the membership of the committee on or before May 5th.
• Formulate mechanisms to encourage, promote and support the goals of the Association through the political process within the College and at the local, regional, and state levels.
• Expend Vote/Cope funds with Executive Board approval.
• Seek active support of Association retirees.
• Submit any activities to the Executive Board prior to implementation.

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The Thea Bowman Bowl-A-Thon on Sunday, March 4th, has been presidentially pronounced "a great day of great fun with great folks for a great cause."

And we concur!

We enjoyed good fun and lots of food, drink, music, and laughs while mustering our bowling skills to beat the opposing team. The "Strike Force" was victorious, with a 13-point lead. Next year, "The Empire Strikes Back" team reports, secret weapon Marie Czarnecki will be bribed into defecting (yeah, you read that right, Perrotti!).

The real winner, of course, was the Thea Bowman House. This year’s event, the 4th Annual Bowl-A-Thon, was the most successful yet! The PA helped attain this goal by raising, including a few late contributions, about $750 for the Thea Bowman House. We’re proud to have played a role in supporting this worthy organization.

We’re also very proud to note that our own Sherry Kimball was recognized in the March 2001 Thea Bowman newsletter for being the individual bowler who raised the greatest amount of money! This truly shows that the MVCC Professional Association is an organization taking an active role in making our community a better place for all.

PA Bowling Team Rosters

The Strike Force	The Empire Strikes Back
Marie Czarnecki Steve Getchell Rob Ichihana Gene Militello Bill Perrotti Mona Perrotti	Sherri Kimball Caroline Lewis Julie Lewis John Rosicky Anthony Villanti Cynthia Villanti

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